By: Matthew Fowler, Assistant Sports Information Director
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State placed 12 former Demon baseball players and Jim Wells as coach of the decade on the 1990s Southland Conference All-Decade roster the league announced Wednesday as a part of its 50th Anniversary commemoration.
The roster features 56 student-athletes from 10 institutions in the league during that era. NSU had the league-high in players while McNeese placed nine on and Nicholls added eight. Louisiana-Monroe, Texas-Arlington, Texas State, Sam Houston, Southeastern Louisiana, and Texas-San Antonio added players to the list.
"With a number of emerging programs, Southland Conference baseball in the 1990s maintained its level of competitive success and national prominence," league commissioner Tom Burnett said. "Many of the greatest players in league history participated in this decade and went on to more success in the major leagues."
NSU features four players of the year (Ryan Anholt
Brian Carlin,
Terry Joseph, and Kyle Shade), six newcomers of the year (Anholt, Carlin, Reggie Gatewood, Josh Hoffpauir, and Skip Madden, and Adam Stout), three pitchers of the year (Gatewood, Lawrence, and Madden), and two hitters of the year (Joseph and Shade) on the list.
Wells led Northwestern State to three Southland Conference titles (1991, 1993, 1994) and the program's first NCAA Regional appearance and win during his five years tenure with the Demons. He was named Southland Conference coach of the year in 1991, 1993, and 1994.
His overall record was 192-89 (.683) and his Southland Conference record was 64-38 (.627). His two coaching successors that coached in the decade, Dave Van Horn and John Cohen, each went on to coach in power conferences with multiple College World Series appearances between them.
Eight members of the all-decade roster played for Wells including Carlin (1990), Troy Conkle (1992-93), Matt Donner (1994-95), Gatewood (1993-94), Joseph (1992-95), Madden (1990-91), Shade (1992-93), and Shepherd (1991).
Carlin took both the player and newcomer of the year awards in 1991 along with being named All-Southland Conference first team.
Conkle was named first-team All-Southland Conference in 1992 and 1993, and Donner in 1994-95.
Gatewood was named pitcher and newcomer of the year in 1993 after winning 10 games, and won first team all-conference honors in both 1993 and 1994. He was named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-American team in the 1994 season.
Joseph (1992-95) played for Wells his first three seasons at NSU, but won player and hitter of the year his senior season in 1995 under Van Horn after he hit for a .404 average to lead the SLC. He was named All-Southland in 1993-95.
Shade is still the league's career (.427) and season (.453) batting champion. He led the Southland Conference in hitting in both 1992 and 1993, and was awarded player and hitter of the year in 1993.
Shepherd was named the 1991 pitcher of the year, and Madden was the 1990 newcomer of the year.
Anholt (1998-99) became NSU's fourth athletic all-American after he was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association team in 1998. He was awarded the league's player and newcomer of the year that season after leading the conference in hitting with a .417 batting average.
Hoffpauir (1997-99) was named newcomer of the year in 1997, and one year later
Brian Lawrence was named pitcher of the year.
Brian Lawrence took All-Southland first team in 1997 and 1998 and later went on to pitch in Major League Baseball for six seasons. He led the conference in earned run average (3.02) in 1997 and strikeouts in 1998 (104).
Adam Stout was NSU's final All-Southland first team honoree in the 1990's and was named newcomer of the year in the same season.
The Southland Conference will continue to recognize all-decade teams in the coming days.
Southland Conference 1990s All-Decade Team (1990-99; 56 players)
|
Name, Team
|
Pos.
|
All-SLC
|
Superlatives
|
|
Ryan Anholt, Northwestern State
|
SS
|
1998
|
1998 Player of the Year, 1998 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Cody Arcement, Nicholls State
|
P
|
1998
|
1998 Wins Leader
|
|
Ben Broussard, McNeese State
|
1B
|
1998, 1999
|
1998 & 1999 Hitter of the Year
|
|
William Brunson, Texas State
|
P
|
1992
|
1992 Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Brent Bubela, Sam Houston State
|
C
|
|
1996 Batting Average Champion, 1996 Tournament MVP
|
|
Terry Burrows, McNeese State
|
P
|
1990
|
1990 Player of the Year; 1990 Pitcher of the Year; Former McNeese State Baseball Coach
|
|
Brian Carlin, Northwestern State
|
OF
|
1991
|
1991 Player of the Year, 1991 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Alby Carvajal, Texas State
|
DH/1B
|
1989, 1990
|
1990 Hitter of the Year
|
|
Troy Conkle, Northwestern State
|
SS
|
1992, 1993
|
|
|
Shannon Cooley, Louisiana-Monroe
|
OF
|
1996
|
1996 Player of the Year
|
|
Clint Cortez, Nicholls State
|
P
|
|
1995 & 1996 Strikeouts Leader
|
|
Andy Davis, Louisiana-Monroe
|
DH/OF
|
1991, 1992
|
|
|
Matt Donner, Northwestern State
|
3B
|
1994, 1995
|
|
|
Kelly Eddlemon, Sam Houston State
|
3B
|
1999, 2000
|
|
|
Gavin Fingleson, Southeastern La.
|
2B
|
|
1999 Hits Leader
|
|
Reggie Gatewood, Northwestern State
|
P
|
1993, 1994
|
1993 Pitcher of the Year, 1993 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Chris Gay, Texas-Arlington
|
P
|
1992
|
1992 Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Clay Gould, Texas-Arlington
|
OF
|
1993
|
1993 Player of the Year; Namesake of Southland Coach of the Year Award
|
|
Clint Gould, McNeese State
|
1B
|
1993, 1994
|
1993 Tournament MVP
|
|
Greg Gravois, Nicholls State
|
OF
|
|
Southland Career Triples Leader (19)
|
|
David Hawkins, Nicholls State
|
P
|
1992
|
1992 ERA Leader
|
|
Karl Heckendorn, Texas-Arlington
|
OF
|
1992, 1993
|
1992 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Harold Henry, Louisiana-Monroe
|
OF
|
1990, 1991
|
|
|
Gary Hermann, Texas State
|
1B
|
1991, 1992
|
1991 & 1992 Hitter of the Year, 1992 Player of the Year
|
|
Shawn Hill, Nicholls State
|
P
|
1993
|
1993 ERA Leader
|
|
Josh Hoffpauir, Northwestern State
|
OF
|
|
1997 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Deron Hofstetter, McNeese State
|
OF
|
1994
|
1994 Hitter of the Year, 1994 Player of the Year
|
|
Jacques Jobert, Nicholls State
|
2B
|
|
1998 Tournament MVP
|
|
Terry Joseph, Northwestern State
|
OF
|
1993, 1994, 1995
|
1995 Hitter of the Year, 1995 Player of the Year
|
|
Jeff Juarez, Texas-San Antonio
|
OF
|
1998, 1999
|
|
|
Greg Kubes, Sam Houston State
|
P
|
1997
|
1997 Pitcher of the Year
|
|
John Lackey, Texas-Arlington
|
P
|
|
2002- MLB, Los Angeles (AL), Boston
|
|
Jason Lecronier, McNeese State
|
OF
|
1994, 1995
|
1994 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Brian Lawrence, Northwestern State
|
P
|
1997, 1998
|
1998 Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Tommy Lewis, Louisiana-Monroe
|
OF
|
1997
|
1997 Hitter of the Year, 1997 Player of the Year
|
|
Brent Lockwood, Nicholls State
|
SS
|
1996
|
1996 Hitter of the Year, 1995 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Skip Madden, Northwestern State
|
P
|
|
1990 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Ben Mann, Louisiana-Monroe
|
P
|
1996
|
1996 Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Matt Mize, Texas-Arlington
|
3B
|
1998, 1999
|
|
|
Scott Pederson, Texas-San Antonio
|
OF
|
1994
|
1994 Tournament MVP
|
|
Darwin Pennye, Texas State
|
OF
|
1988
|
1988 Hitter of the Year
|
|
Kevin Perret, Nicholls State
|
3B
|
1997
|
1997 Batting Average Champion
|
|
Stephen Prihoda, Sam Houston State
|
P
|
1994, 1995
|
1994 Player of the Year
|
|
Ryan Robertson, McNeese State
|
C
|
1994, 1995
|
|
|
Jose Rubiera, Texas-Arlington
|
OF
|
|
1991 Batting Average Champion
|
|
Jon Saylor, McNeese State
|
P
|
1995
|
1995 Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Kyle Shade, Northwestern State
|
OF
|
1992, 1993
|
1993 Hitter of the Year, 1993 Player of the Year; Southland Career Batting Average Leader (.427)
|
|
Ben Sheets, Louisiana-Monroe
|
P
|
1998, 1999
|
1999 Player of the Year, 1999 Pitcher of the Year; U.S. Olympic Team Gold Medalist, 2000 Atlanta Olympics
|
|
Barry Shepherd, Northwestern State
|
P
|
1991
|
1991 Pitcher of the Year
|
|
Chad Spears, Texas State
|
C
|
1997
|
1997 Player of the Year
|
|
Adam Stout, Northwestern State
|
P
|
1999
|
1999 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Corey Taylor, Louisiana-Monroe
|
OF
|
1997, 1998
|
|
|
Ron Thames, Sam Houston State
|
1B
|
1996, 1997
|
|
|
Mike Trahan, McNeese State
|
2B
|
|
1996 Newcomer of the Year
|
|
Brian Vidrine, McNeese State
|
OF
|
1990
|
1990 Batting Average Champion
|
|
Macky Waguespack, Southeastern La.
|
DH
|
1999
|
Southland Career Home Run Leader (56)
|
Coach of the Decade: Jim Wells, Northwestern State
